tushanshu | (no subject)

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[The post opens on the video setting, with a curious-looking rather pointy-nosed sandy-haired man in Victorian garb looking at the console. He adjusts his cravat slightly.]

I believe this is the 'video' setting? And you all can see me? This really is marvelous, you know—or perhaps you don't, if you're used to it-

[He then abruptly switches to the audio setting, his voice gaining a shading of amusement.]

And I can certainly see the advantages of being heard, but not seen. How thoughtful of our hosts.

[Then the audio cuts off too, his fascination with this new technology overwhelming his usual good manners.]

And this, of course, is text. Most similar to what I'm used to, though this letter arrangement does not seem to be the most efficient. Are we capable of changing this? I'm sure there's a better arrangement for these.

qwertyuiop

That makes very little sense.

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[Lyall does look rather young to be making that sort of claim about anyone, questions of immortality aside.

He examines the sketch with great interest.]

Oh, yes, I see- that would certainly be very efficient, once one learned the best way to use it. I really can't imagine why nobody has ever come up with one. It would certainly be better for recordkeeping at BUR- though paper is less durable than metal, and you can't use it with an aethographer.

[And we are back to confused.] I'm sorry, I've never heard the term 'aethographer' before. What is it?

It's a sort of device that sends message to other such devices through the medium of the aether. I know they aren't very common.

I would say they are unheard of. By aether, do you mean the theorised medium of transmission for electromagnetic force? That was disproved.

[This is getting nowhere. He tries something else] Forget that. Perhaps I missed the relevant literature. What is the BUR? A learned society?

On the contrary, they have been proven quite effectively- [The change of subject, however, is probably for the best.]

No, the Bureau of Unnatural Registry. Where the records of supernaturals are stored. [He is starting to really believe that people come from many different worlds. Any Englishman in his world would know the BUR.]

[Dorian pauses, then laughs.] I should have been thinking Doctor Who. That clears up everything. [Except that Dorian is even more interested now, leaning towards the screen.] Are you telling me that supernatural beings live in the open in your England?

Oh, yes, perfectly openly. [He smiles, his canines visibly pointier than they should be, and lets his eyes go wolf-yellow.] Vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, all loyal subjects of Queen Victoria. And very useful ones, too.

[Lyall, no. Don't do that. Because Dorian's eyes widen a moment, and the look on his face is not one of fear. Dorian is completely charmed.] I have no doubts about the usefulness of supernaturals to the Crown. But where I'm from, they tend to prefer secrecy. Hence the lack of Bureau.

[He is glad that Dorian isn't frightened, though. Fear is not the appropriate response to nice harmless werewolves.]

England is the only country that I know of that has accepted supernaturals as much as they do. Henry VIII brought us into the light, so to speak- though most of us prefer to avoid the sun.

[Dorian rubs his neck at his jugular, expression amused.] It seems that particular monarch chooses to make radical changes to England in more than one timeline. I think I might prefer your version of it.

[Lyall's eyes track that movement- experience with vampires? they're so fond of necks- though his expression stays mildly curious.] Did he? What did he do in yours?

Broke off with the Roman Catholic Church and declared himself the Head of the Church of England. The Pope wasn't very happy with him, to put it mildly.

Oh, yes, it was quite a spectacular break. The Catholics do not approve of us monsters. In King Henry's favour, however, you really can't find the Roman Empire on modern maps and that's certainly not the case for Britain.

[He's a little smug about that.]

[Dorian can tell. He grins.] Do you still say 'the sun never sets on the British Empire,' or did that phrase not seem appropriate?

I have heard the expression, but I've always thought it just slightly tasteless. [He chuckles.] Especially considering the effort that we supernaturals put into it.

Don't tell me: a host of supernaturals wrecked the Spanish Armada on the coast of Ireland in 1588.

I would hardly count our numbers as a host, but of course we rendered our assistance. The Spanish are hardly more desirable rulers than the Italians when it comes to supernaturals.

You don't know how strange it is to hear of England as progressive in how it treats its population.

[Guess who still hasn't forgiven England law for putting Oscar Wilde in jail?]

Well, of course there are conservative factions... is it much different, in your world?

[In Lyall's world he could have been a drone and eventually immortal. Happier thought?]

Aside from the necessity of supernatural beings completely masking their existence from the outside world, the late 1800s had some . . . oppressive acts passed, enshrining prejudice in law. Moralising hypocrisy was the dominant note of the day.

[But then his artistry would be gone. Worse than death.]

That is a shame. I cannot think of any such legislation in my England, and I imagine that the supernatural faction would have fought it here. But then, supernatural society is not bound by the same strictures as the daylight folk are.

[In other words, morality is rather relaxed.]

That, at least, is a commonality between our two worlds. I've never known any supernatural being to put much store by the rules of human society.

[Open letter to vampires:

Ripping off heads prior to giving someone a drink is considered bad form. Pushing the headless corpse off the sofa before offering a seat does not, in fact, compensate for this. Please consider at least giving your guests alcohol first.

Yours,
Basic Social Skills]

In our case we make some of them. The vampires more often than the werewolves- a society dominated by werewolves would have much less clothing and much more fighting.

[Lyall cannot possibly imagine a vampire doing that. They're all even stuffier than he is- byzantine social rules to frustrate werewolves are really what they're best at. That and being uncanny bastards.]

One of those doesn't sound so bad.

I would not be terribly pleased with either.

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depicted - 2013-02-06 03:19 (UTC) - Expand

video

cravats - 2013-02-06 03:21 (UTC) - Expand

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